IGDA Education Curriculum Project Plan

Current Plan

Research plan for game curriculum framework development

Phase 1

1. Review all game education curriculum frameworks that currently exist and the theory of the curriculum framework development, so that we can make decisions on how we would like our curriculum framework to look like
1. IGDA (https://docplayer.net/1868720-Igda-curriculum-framework.html)
2. UK
3. Australia
4. Game HighED ( https://gamehighed.ukw.edu.pl/jednostka/gamehighed/downloads)
5. Asia?
2. Have consultative meetings with groups that have already developed region specific curriculum frameworks, such as Game HighEd (Guven from Turkey, Michael Mochocki from the Czech Republic)
1. Look for names of people who worked on game curriculum frameworks and decide who we want to contact for a meeting.
3. Divide existing IGDA’s 9 core topics between the team members.
1. Each of us takes one or two topics and is responsible for each of the steps in the research plan for the assigned topics
2. IGDA (2008) distinguishes three major areas (game design, game development, and game studies), and accordingly lists nine core topics:
1. Critical Game Studies - Julija
2. Games and Society - Julija
3. Game Design – Ryan, Steve, Heather?
4. Game Programming – Thiep?
5. Visual Design        - Ryan, Heather?
6. Audio Design - Steve
7. Interactive Storytelling – Suzanne, Heather?
8. Game Production – Thiep?
9. Business of Gaming – Ryan, Steve, Thiep, Suzanne?
3. Review what Suzanne and Ryan already collected and how they expanded on the core concepts. This is what Suzanne sent me at one point:

   Curriculum Framework Scaffolding

   • Creative Pedagogy
   • Game Writing
   • Game Arts
   • Game Design
   • Mechanics
   • Game Studies
   • Systems Design
   • Visual Design
   • Game Engines
   • Audio Design
   • Animation
   • Programming
   • Ethics
   • Production
   • Accessibility
   • Serious Games
   • Business
   • Games & Learning
   • Games & Society
   • AV/VR
   • Mobile Games
   • E Sports
   • Game Security
4. Prepare the first survey for IGDA members (Julija creates the first draft, and all contribute with comments) ^[a]
1. Create an online survey (Thiep?)
2. Administer the survey (Suzanne)
3. Find volunteers to organize survey results if we get a lot of answers ^[b]
4. Think about how to address specific issues that each region faces in game education in our framework
5. Review the findings of the survey and compare them with what we already came up with for the new core topics, decide on the new core topics (this might be changed during the consultative work with experts)
5. Think about how we can use the building blocks in the framework development

Phase 2

1. Form content expert groups for all new topics
1. Each team lead will organize the work of their working group, but we should all decide on the timeframe with some flexibility
2. Think about developing either benchmarks or learning outcomes for each core topic ^{[c] [d]}
3. Make sure that we have a representative of each region in each working group, if we don’t, find people that we can consult from that region, but they don’t have to be a part of the group
4. Discuss the needs, practices , and experiences of each program/country/region ( depending  on what people can talk about) and use that as a guide for the framework development
5. In the workgroups, discuss either benchmarks or learning outcomes for each topic and subtopic
2. Each team lead finalizes the agreed benchmarks or learning outcomes and prepares them  for discussion with the rest of the team
3. In the team, we will finalize the framework

Phase 3

1. After the framework is developed, send it back to the community for feedback
2. Revise the framework based on their feedback
3. Present it at  conferences

Phase 4

1. Liaise with some programs and see if they are being implemented  and how the new framework
2. Potentially find schools that are developing a new program and work with them on the implementation of the framework
3. Report on the development and implementation of the framework in scientific journals and conferences

Definitions of the curriculum framework

The five stage model [of curriculum framework development] (UNESCO, 2017) proposed for the process is:

Stage 1: Evidence-gathering

Stage 2: Preparation – 3 months

Stage 3: Development – 6 to 12 months

Stage 4: Implementation

Stage 5: Monitoring and evaluation

A framework, when used in any context, implies a means of organizing and managing content (policies, procedures, concepts and so on) in systematic ways. In most contexts, a framework is not about the content itself, but about how that content might be structured, controlled or regulated. A framework provides a set of parameters within which the content is to be developed.

In other words, a curriculum framework sets the parameters, directions and standards for curriculum policy and practice .

The word ‘framework’ also implies flexibility. A framework is not simply a set of rules. Rather, it suggests that some variation and the use of discretion are possible in implementing the framework, providing that the underlying principles and standards are adhered to.

When applied to curriculum, a framework therefore should organize, control and/or regulate the content of the curriculum – that i s, the subject descriptors or syllabuses, as well as textbooks and other learning materials